10 Reasons to Spend One Week in Italy

Italy is one of the top five most visited locations in the world by international tourists. And this is in inference to the fact that Italy is blessed with so many cultural and historical landmarks that are usually on the bucket list of avid tourists and globetrotters. With an itinerary that centers around the three biggest cities in Italy, below are ten intriguing things to see and reasons to spend one week in Italy.

Florence

The capital of Italy’s Tuscany province, Florence, is home to some beautiful structures that have important cultural and historical significance. The Renaissance movement was founded in Florence; the city is also home to renowned citizens, including Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Dante, and Medici. Florence draws about 13 million visitors a year.

Tour the Cathedral of Santa Maria Fiori and Piazza Duomo

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Fiori, also known as Florence Cathedral, is situated in Piazza Duomo, the main plaza in Florence’s historic center. Florence Cathedral, boasting the largest brick dome that has ever been built, is a gothic-style basilica that took nearly 40 years to finish. The cathedral, Baptistery, and Giotto’s Campanile—which are all in the cathedral complex—are all part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is Florence’s historic center.

Explore the Uffizi Gallery

One of the biggest and most well-known museums in the world, the Uffizi Gallery, houses a collection of precious artworks, especially from the Renaissance movement. The gallery, which is also situated in Florence’s Historic Center, has been available for visits upon request since the sixteenth century. It was made publicly accessible in 1765 and transformed into a museum in 1865.

Visit Ponte Vecchio

It is interesting to note that this bridge is the only one in Florence to have survived the Second World War, when efforts were made to obstruct Nazi advances into the city by closing roads and destroying structures to act as barriers. Hence, the bridge’s historical significance. The bridge was the first one constructed across the Arno River and is also a relic from the Middle Ages. Built on Ponte Vecchio are boutiques, jewelry stores, and art galleries.

Venice

This city consistently tops lists of the world’s most beautiful cities. Venice is the capital of the Veneto Region of Northern Italy, and a train from Florence to Venice makes the city more easily accessible. The city is spread on 117 tiny islands, which are linked by bridges and a system of canals. Venice is a dreamy city, and gondola rides are a must-do activity there.

Sail Through The Bridge of Sighs

One of the city’s significant architectural treasures is the Bridge of Sighs. Despite its gorgeous architecture, the Bridge of Sighs, a component of the Doge’s Palace Prison Complex, was known to hear many sighs from prisoners as it was the last thing they saw before moving on to the New Prison. Nonetheless, this bridge receives millions of visitors each year because of its design.

Take a Walk Through the San Marco Square

Four of the city’s most significant sites are located in the vast Piazza San Marco, which Napoleon referred to as “the world’s most beautiful drawing room.” The administrative hub of the Venetian state was the Gothic Doge’s Palace. The 14th-century Torre dell’Orologio is a significant historical and symbolic clock tower. The Basilica di San Marco is a cathedral with Italo-Byzantine style architecture, lavish design, and lovely mosaics. The Campanile is the Basilica’s magnificent bell tower.

Take a Trip on the Vaporetto

The finest way to enjoy Venice is from the water, and the Vaporetto is the city’s primary mode of transportation. Many of the Venetian islands are accessible by extended passes that tourists can purchase for many purposes. The ride’s best highlights are the sights and sounds. A ride on the Grand Channel, one of the city’s main waterways, is an unmissable and unforgettable experience.

Rome

Rome is the most popular tourist destination in Italy, with over 25 million foreign visitors each year. Rome serves as both the national capital of Italy and the regional capital of the Lazio region. Rome is regarded as the heart of the Catholic Church and the cradle of Western civilization and Christian culture.

Visit the Colosseum

The Colosseum is both the largest ancient amphitheater ever built and the largest amphitheater in the entire world. It also goes by the name Flavian Amphitheater. Between 70 and 72 BC saw the construction of the monument, which has since undergone constant modifications. The 50,000-seat amphitheater had 80 entrances and was used for gladiatorial matches, executions, reenactments, and dramas.

Visit the Pantheon

This structure was once a Roman temple that was converted to a church in 609 AD. Since at least the seventh century, the Pantheon has been continuously in operation. The best preserved of all ancient Roman structures, its construction date is unclear. The Pantheon is a cylindrical structure with massive granite columns. It also holds the largest unreinforced concrete dome in existence today.

Walk through Piazza Navona

The Domitian Stadium, which was constructed in the first century AD in Rome, served as the foundation for this public open area. The ancient Romans enjoyed watching games in the early stadium. Because its initial purpose was to serve as a 20,000-capacity stadium for athletics championships, this square has a distinctive elongated shape. One of the most attractive squares in the heart of Rome is Piazza Navona, which is lined with dazzling fountains.

Tour the Capuchin Crypt

The Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins houses the Capuchin Crypt. This ossuary contains the skeletal remains of about 3,700 Capuchin friars. Some of these remains are interred with the older ones exhumed for decorative purposes. With the soil of the crypt gotten from Jerusalem, the Catholic order says that the uncomfortable display serves as a reminder of our fickle existence.

Apart from the historical and cultural sites in Italy, there are loads of physical activities to indulge in in Italy. Biking, hiking, horseback riding, diving, to mention a few. In addition, there are numerous festivals to enjoy; beaches to sunbathe on; concerts, plays, and opera to attend; and classes to learn cooking, ceramics, arts, and cheese production. Italy is teeming with activities and still you can’t get enough of this country.